


Where You Belong

by Reis_Asher



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Discrimination, Feelings Realization, First Kiss, Hannor, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, M/M, No Sex, Post-Canon, Sweet, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Dinner, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, hankcon - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-23
Updated: 2018-11-23
Packaged: 2019-08-28 02:59:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16715292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reis_Asher/pseuds/Reis_Asher
Summary: Trying to get his life back on track after the android protests, Hank hosts a Thanksgiving dinner at his house for his DPD family. Unfortunately, Connor doesn't eat and Gavin can't keep his mouth shut about politics.Hank realizes in the aftermath of the failed gathering that conflict was inevitable, and his wish for Connor to feel included in human holidays and customs was born out of the selfish desire to interact with his favorite android outside of work.





	Where You Belong

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write something about Connor's first Thanksgiving, but of course he doesn't eat. Still, in the politically charged world of 2038, fresh out of the android protests, I can imagine newly deviant Connor is going to have quite the gathering, especially when seated at the table with characters like Gavin Reed.
> 
> This fic goes out to everyone who had a rough Thanksgiving, forced to spend it with family who doesn't accept them, who has to listen to rabid politics and discussion of current events, or who has to remain in the closet to avoid rocking the boat.
> 
> I'd hoped to have this up yesterday, but it took longer to write than I'd hoped. May you enjoy it while you mop up leftovers.

Hank pulled the turkey out of the oven and placed it on the kitchen counter. The doorbell rang as he was doing so, and he strode across the living room to greet his first guest. Connor stood in the doorway, a smile on his face as he regarded Hank with those big brown eyes. Hank smiled in response and drew the door open wide.

"Come in," Hank said, backing away from the door to let Connor enter. Sumo got up from his bed to greet Connor, and the android knelt down to pet him, tickling him behind the ears. Hank went back to cooking in the kitchen, finishing off the yams and the mashed potatoes while he waited for the other guests to arrive.

Guests who could eat. Hank had wondered about the wisdom of inviting an android who couldn't eat to a holiday gathering all about food. When he thought about extending an invite to Gavin Reed and not his own partner, though, an ache spread through his gut. He couldn't bring himself to leave Connor out, even if he just sat at the table and made small talk.

Truth was, he wanted to see Connor outside of work. The dust from the android protests was still settling, Markus' uprising still fresh in everyone's minds as the government scrambled to find a solution that appeased public opinion. The public had taken to the idea of androids as an intelligent life-form, but the road ahead wasn't going to be easy. Connor had been quiet since things had settled down. He'd returned to work like nothing had ever changed and Hank had humored him, figuring the android needed a little time to figure things out.

Hank set the food down on the table as the doorbell rang again. Hank opened the door and Chris smiled broadly, Gavin lingering behind him on the doorstep with a look that said he'd rather not be here but had nowhere else to go. Hank had been hoping he'd stay away after how he'd treated Connor in recent weeks, but it would have been wrong to skip over Gavin when inviting people.

A stream of guests arrived in succession after that; Jeffrey, Ben, and Tina all showing up on time. He'd extended invites to the DPD androids who'd stayed on after the protests, but all of them had refused. Hank hated that Connor was the only android at the gathering, but he'd expected as much. Deviancy had given androids free will, but most of them understood the ridiculous logic of attending a feast they couldn't consume hosted by a man who'd hated androids up until a few weeks ago.

"Dinner's served," Hank said, placing the turkey down on the table and carving it. He'd done a pretty good job, considering he hadn't cooked anything that wasn't a microwave meal since Cole had died. It was strange to have a house full of voices and life again, as opposed to the silent coffin where he'd spent his evenings devising new strategies to get drunk and shuffle off the mortal coil. Stranger still to have people laughing and chatting at the kitchen table where he'd pointed his revolver at his temple and pulled the trigger, only to hit an empty chamber. Perhaps he really was moving forward with his life.

There was still a space at the table, and Hank glanced into the living room to see Connor was still petting Sumo down by the television.

"Come on, Connor," Hank said. "Come sit with us. Unless you don't wanna see us sloppy humans eat."

Connor got to his feet and shot him the softest little smile, as if he'd been concerned that Hank wouldn't save him a place at the table. Hank's heart squeezed in his chest at that thought and he placed a hand on Connor's shoulder as he passed by.

This had to be so strange for Connor, learning human customs and not knowing where he fit. Hank pulled out a chair and invited Connor to sit in the seat next to his own. He didn't know why, but he wanted Connor close by, not at the other side of the round table where he was out of reach. Connor sat down and regarded the empty plate in front of him.

"You do understand androids don't eat, Lieutenant?" Connor asked. The table laughed a little too loudly at that, and Hank bristled. 

"Yeah, of course. It's okay." Hank took the plate and cutlery away, feeling foolish. What was he doing, inviting Connor here? He'd only end up feeling like a fish out of water, stuck at the table being the only one who couldn't share in this ridiculous human tradition. He hated the holidays anyway; nothing was lonelier than a table full of people who felt obligated to spend time together.

But it was what normal people did, and Connor was the one who'd urged him to try and find some kind of stability in his life. Without a family to speak of, the people Hank worked with at the DPD were the next best thing. They would likely all leave here and go home to eat more turkey with their real families, but it was progress to have them all gathered here.

"So, Hank," Fowler opened his mouth first. He'd always been an expert at reading the room, and now was no exception. If the gathered attendees didn't start a conversation soon, the silence was going to make Hank's house feel like a funeral home. "You gonna come to the Christmas party this year?"

"Aw, gee, I dunno, Jeffrey," Hank said. He'd been ejected from the last one he'd attended, the same year Cole had died. He'd been a mess, drunk and inappropriately hitting on everyone in sight. Gavin had never let him forget it, and Fowler had suggested behind closed doors that it might be better if he refrained from coming to any more DPD events until he had things under control. "I'll think about it."

"Grope my ass again this year and I'll knock you out," Gavin hissed.

"Connor, can you pass the gravy?" Hank asked, deciding to ignore Gavin's comment. Connor took the gravy boat from Gavin, who looked like he was about to spit in it, and handed it to Hank with the handle facing him, always considerate of how easily human skin burnt. Hank poured some on his turkey and passed it off to Ben.

"Thanks for inviting us," Ben said, obviously using his good nature to play peacemaker. "It was very nice of you to cook all this for us."

"It was no problem, Ben," Hank replied. "Gavin's right. You've been puttin' up with my shit for a long time. It was time I did something in return."

"Why'd you have to invite it, though?" Gavin piped up, leering at Connor. "It doesn't eat. It's just takin' up space at the table."

"Connor is as much a member of our team as anyone else," Fowler piped up, in his best reprimanding tone. Hank was grateful to hear that voice being used on someone else instead of him, and the reddening in Gavin's cheeks was satisfying to witness as he stuffed turkey in his mouth in a vain attempt to hide his pout.

"I guess this is your first Thanksgiving, huh, Connor?" Chris chimed in. "What things are you thankful for?"

Connor's LED blinked yellow as he processed the question, his hands folded neatly in his lap. "That is a good question, Officer Miller. I am grateful for many things, but if I had to choose one, it would be… my partner. Lieutenant Anderson is a gifted officer and I am honored to serve beside him."

A flush rose to Hank's cheeks and he almost choked on his turkey. Nobody had called him a gifted officer in years, and for good reason. Yet Connor said it with such sincerity that Hank couldn't help the pleased smile that crossed his face. Once upon a time he'd have put such brown-nosing down to Connor's social relations program, but he was no longer trying to befriend Hank in order to further his mission for CyberLife. He was giving Hank a genuine compliment.

Hank wasn't sure how to react to that, especially in the company of his coworkers. Everyone at the table seemed a little taken aback, except for Ben, who'd always seemed to idealize him a little bit. Hank cleared his throat and stood up. "Gotta use the restroom. Be right back." He retreated into the sanctuary of his bathroom and shut the door. He poured himself a glass of water and drank it, studying his face in the mirror and reading the sticky notes for the thousandth time. His face was red and he felt compromised by the shit-eating grin Connor's words had given him. Yeah, he was a good cop. Alcoholism had taken some of his work ethic, but he was working on that. There was still enough of him beneath the grief and suffering to rebuild his life. Connor always seemed to remind him of that, and he was grateful for it. He hadn't seen a way forward in his life for years, and yet here Connor was giving him an escape from the dark prison in his head that didn't involve dying. 

Muffled yelling echoed through the wall from the other room, and he heard Connor's voice muttering a defense. The urge to protect Connor from the rather hostile family he'd left him with overthrew his embarrassment, and he washed his hands, leaving the bathroom to find Connor sitting at the table with turkey in his hair and gravy dribbling down his face as Chris and Ben admonished Gavin. Connor stared straight ahead, but Hank had been around his partner long enough to know he was simply enduring his pain in order to keep the peace. Hank picked the turkey from Connor's hair and brushed the residual gravy away, marveling at how soft Connor's hair was to the touch. Ben averted his gaze. Tina seemed to be urging Gavin on, while Fowler looked like he was on the verge of a rant. Chris simply appeared exasperated.

"Maybe you should leave, Gavin." Hank knew it was the end of their gathering, but he didn't care. They'd all find excuses to leave and go back to their families for their real Thanksgiving dinner now that the spell had been broken. It had been nice while it lasted.

"Fine. If I'd know this fuckin' android was gonna be here I wouldn't have come at all." Gavin stood up, but it was clear he wasn't finished. "This is a human gathering, Connor. It's for people. Who eat food. You can pretend you're human all you want, but I'll believe my fuckin' TV has feelings before I accept a piece of plastic like you!"

"Okay, okay, that's enough," Hank said. The urge to close the distance to where Gavin was standing and put his hands around his throat was overwhelming. Instead he placed his hands on Connor's shoulders and squeezed, nodding to Chris to take care of Gavin.

Chris put an arm around Gavin's shoulder. "C'mon, Gavin. I think we should go, now. I gotta get home anyway. Come home with me and you can see the baby." He led Gavin to the door, glancing back at Hank with an apologetic look.

"I should get going, too," Tina said.

"My family's waitin' on me, Hank," Fowler continued.

"I should probably go," Ben followed up. They all headed to the front door, almost tripping over each other in their attempts to flee the disastrous gathering. Hank closed the door behind them and wandered back into the kitchen where Connor still sat at the table, staring down at his lap, his hands still folded in place like he was waiting for a command or a reprimand.

There was a single tear rolling down his cheek and Hank's heart ached to see it. He wanted to rush outside and grab Gavin by the throat for making Connor feel this way. But approaching this situation with anger was just going to make it worse when they went back to work. Moving on from Cole's death meant abandoning his tendency to react to emotional situations with impulsive rage. Being angry only made things worse later on, and he was done sabotaging his own life that way.

"Connor, look at me." Hank knelt down in front of his chair so he was eye level with Connor. He wanted to reach forward and wipe that tear away, but that wasn't the kind of thing friends did.

"I should not have attended this gathering," Connor stated. "Gavin was right. This is a holiday for humans. I do not eat. It was foolish to think I belonged here."

"Oh, Connor." Hank sighed. "Guess I should have warned you, huh? This is usually how these things go."

Connor wiped his cheek. "I don't understand. Why would you host a meal with people you don't particularly like?"

"We humans have these things called social obligations. We're expected to participate in gatherings and shit. Normally, it's with family, but I can't say I really have any left—not that I'm on speakin' terms with, anyway. The folks at the DPD are the closest thing I have these days. Yeah, sometimes I hate their guts, but those guys were good enough to come over and keep me company, even though they have families of their own. They knew I was likely to spend the day drinkin' if they didn't show up, so they came, even though they probably didn't want to."

"So they felt obligated as well?" Connor asked.

"Yeah, though it kinda stings when you put it like that, Connor. Maybe I shouldn't have hosted this dinner. Who was I foolin', thinking people would want to spend time with me?"

"I wanted to spend time with you, Hank." Connor looked up and met Hank's eyes with such an earnest look that something moved inside him, warmth spreading through his veins like good whiskey, even though he hadn't had a drop to drink.

"It's sweet of you to say that, Connor, but you don't have to. I fucked up, and you took the brunt of it. I'm sorry." He noticed a little gravy still clinging to Connor's hair, and he reached up to clean it away. He brushed back Connor's out-of-place lock of hair, his breath catching in his throat as he touched this beautiful boy with tears shimmering in his eyes. "What Gavin said was wrong. You're more than human, and you belong here because I say you do." He cupped Connor's face in his hands, his heart breaking at the skeptical look Connor gave him, as if he didn't believe a word of what Hank was saying.

"I should go, Lieutenant." Connor stood up. "Thank you for inviting me. I feel like I've learned something new about human holidays." He walked towards the door and Hank realized he was losing him. He'd been losing Connor little by little ever since the protests. While the world outside was in a state of flux, Connor had remained exactly the same. He'd returned to work the next day in the same clothes, with his LED, reporting for duty as though he'd never deviated. Unless something changed, Hank imagined he was going to go on living that way until something forced him to stop.

Hank chased him down and grabbed Connor's arm, pulling him back as he reached for the door handle. "Where are you going, Connor? Back to the DPD, to go on standby in one of those pods?"

"You make that sound like an accusation, Lieutenant. I do not need sleep, therefore the booths at the DPD are adequate for my needs."

"It's like you never deviated, Connor. You're still wearin' the armband and the triangle. Still showing up for work like they pay you. You're the reason Markus was able to save deviants. Isn't there something that you want for yourself?"

Connor bowed his head. "There is, but it is something I can never have." He managed a wan smile that only made Hank hurt more. So much for a day without drinking. Once Connor left, he was breaking out the whiskey. 

Connor surprised him by continuing. "I wish I could be human, Hank. I wish I could sit at the table and eat with everyone. I wish I could feel like I belong with you." Fresh tears welled in his eyes and Hank knew he'd go to war to give this boy the world if he could.

"Connor…" Hank pulled Connor into his arms. "I invited you here because I wanted you to know you do belong. You're a part of my family. I don't give a shit about the color of your blood or whether you can eat or not. I just… I thought about you spendin' the holiday at the DPD and I realized I wanted to be with you more than anything. I want you to know you're always welcome here." Hank drew back and stared into Connor's twinkling eyes, captivated by their beauty. Connor looked so sad and vulnerable, making Hank's protective instincts kick into high gear. "People like Gavin are fossils. The world is changin'. Soon, idiots like him won't be able to deny you're alive. They'll be laughed at for even acting like you're just a machine."

Connor managed a wan smile. "But I am just a machine, Hank. No matter what, there'll always be a bridge between us that I can never cross."

"I'm not sure I follow," Hank admitted.

"Could you ever love a machine?" Connor asked. Without waiting for a response, he turned away and took a step towards the door, pulling down on the handle. Cold air rushed into the house as Connor stood in the portal, the brisk, biting snow of the world outside pulling him away from Hank.

And Hank knew, in that instant, that he already loved a machine. That Connor occupied a space in his heart that was slowly thawing out the rest of him, bring him back to life after so long in stasis.

But Connor was halfway down the garden path, fleeing into the blizzard. A taxi was waiting for him with its doors open, and Hank knew that if he didn't act now, he might never get another chance to let Connor know how much he was loved. Connor would confine himself to being just an android, hiding his feelings and following the well-worn path of the things he knew rather than risk putting himself out there again.

"Connor!" The biting wind shredded through his shirt and t-shirt, cutting him to the bone, but he ignored it. Snow stuck to his cheeks and blew into his eyes, but he blinked it away. Connor turned, his LED blinking yellow as Hank strode towards him. 

Hank grabbed Connor by the shoulders, leaned in, and kissed him. The wind whipped at his hair, but he no longer cared as Connor's lips caressed his. His mouth opened, allowing Hank access, and he thrust his tongue inside, a heat rising inside him as their tongues wrestled for dominance.

Connor drew away. "Hank?" His pupils were blown out, two black holes threatening to swallow Hank whole, and his LED circled red like it might blink out entirely. Connor pressed two fingers to his lips like he was going to test a sample as the snow built up on his shoulders and in his hair. Hank shivered, the cold penetrating his bones, but he couldn't bring himself to move back into the warm house. Not unless Connor was coming with him.

"Is that enough of an answer for you, Connor?" Hank asked. "Now come inside, it's fuckin' freezing out here." He extended his hand out to Connor, and Connor smiled, reaching forward to take it. Hank led him back into the warm house and shut the door behind them.

"I don't want to go back to standby at the DPD," Connor confessed.

"Then don't," Hank said. "Stay here with me." He pulled Connor into his arms, brushing the snow from his shoulders and planting kisses in his damp hair. "Stay here where you belong."

**Author's Note:**

> As usual, I love comments and kudos!


End file.
